Stinson 108-3 N6968M

Summary

On 30 June 2002 at about 21:45 local time, a Stinson 108-3 registered N6968M was involved in an accident near Falcon, Colorado, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2002 at 21:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Falcon, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Meadow Lake Airport (OOV)

Coordinates

38.9458, -104.5697

Aircraft

Stinson 108-3

Registration

N6968M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Falcon → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN02LA062

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff roll and subsequent abort. Factors relating to the accident were the gusting crosswinds and the unsuitable terrain encountered when the airplane departed the runway.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that on takeoff roll and at 40 miles per hour, he raised the tail of the airplane. Shortly after, the airplane started moving to the left of the center of the runway. The pilot reported he applied right rudder, but the airplane continued moving left as if a brake was dragging. The pilot reduced power in an attempt to abort the takeoff, but the airplane continued left off of the runway into the grass. The propeller struck the ground and the airplane went up on its nose and over on its back. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies. The reported winds at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 9 miles south-southwest of the airport was 100 degrees at 17 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The owner of a fixed-base operation on the airport said that the winds were out of the west that day, approximately 260 degrees, and they were gusting. The owner could not provide an estimate of the wind speed, but said the winds were strong enough that they suspended flying operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.